Confessions of an “OrgCommholic”

We started our ORCOM 152 discussion last Saturday (June 28, 2009) by sharing “How much we have changed from high school to college?” All of us shared very interesting stories. What I have shared was how being an Organizational Communication major changes my life.

Back in high school, I admit that I’m “lost”—in the sense that I do not know what course to pursue in college, what career I want in my life and what I am going to be in the future. I am not an honor student and I do not often talk to school faculties like my other classmates. I am studying for the mere idea of attending school and passing secondary education.

I attended Far Eastern University from school year 2005-2006 taking up Mass Communication. In 2006, I have the opportunity to transfer in UPM and became an Organizational Communication student. From my freshmen and sophomore days, I am still half-hearted in the field that I am into. During the first semester of my junior year, I had undergone a complete transformation.

Now, I fully understand what my course can offer me, how vital every concepts we are taking up and how I truly appreciate every individual in this small society of ours. This course made me feel worthy and that I have an important part in our humanity.

Like humans, communication goes through the process of evolution. As we proceed in our discussion, Sir Barry enlightened us on how communication progressed. He provided us the B-I-S Model:

  • BROADCAST Media – “We tell you.” (One-to-many)

This model employs a one-way communication. It is also intended for “Mass Communication” and uses the traditional channel. The publishers have the push, the control, and project their selves as experts in this form. This representation do not really care on their ad’s content, does not have specific target, no interaction and making the audience as passive consumers.

  • INTERACTIVE Media– “Tell us what you think of what we tell you.” (One-to-many; Many-to-many)

In this model, there is small group of people (reader-commentators) who are eager to comment. The publishers do not have all the push but there is the control. It became “reactive” than pro-active. There is an interaction with audience. In this form, there is no more isolation and it brings every element closer to one another.

  • New SOCIAL MEDIA – “Tell each other.” (Many-to-many)

This model knows its specific target. The creators have the least control. No one holds the complete control and no conscious effort are needed to push the message in this form. This representation is based on collective experiences of every element in the model. There is high competition and limit is not a possibility. But the downside is that the authority is not clear.

As communicators, we should always look for development to improve our interaction. As what have Sir Barry reminded us, we should “bring communication back to communication”. Media is not dying… It is changing. New social media shows us that as people evolve, communication also evolves. It is up to the people who use these media make them beneficial or dangerous. Let us bring this evolution of communication to the next step. 🙂

“Isn’t it fast? Isn’t it furious?” – A Reflection on Internet Apocalypso by Christopher Locke

Christopher Locke’s “Internet Apocalypso” triggered me to ask myself this very simple inquiry: “When did I learn how to communicate?”

Three very obvious realizations come into my senses:

  • When we were born, we attached to our families through simple winks of our eyes and little movements of our delicate fingers. When we were toddlers, we learned to utter simple words that bridges us to have friends.  When we reached our school age, we started to learn new concepts that connect us to the people that we know… And to those that we do not know.
  • Communication serves as our better halves. From the moment we engage ourselves to communicate, we exchange vows to make use of it for better or for worst. We accept whatever changes or forms it took for it to satisfy our needs.
  • We are growing in a very fast pace environment. A town that was filled with trees turned in to a busy urban community with soaring buildings and speeding vehicles. Houses which were made out of bamboo turned into glamorous stoned mansions. People who used to here news from a town official can now easily acquire it with one click of a finger.

Locke provided us a better perspective of “technology” in this chapter by highlighting our necessity for “Internet”. Let’s admit it! At this growing generation, how can we surive if we do not embrace changes? Innovation? Advancement? Modernization?

Retaining our “traditional” conventions is truly grateful. But we should learn to let go… We should not close our doors to new paradigms.

As future professionals, it’s good to know that at this time, we are educated on what tools should we use to improve ourselves in the fields or careers we want to pursue. This will help us to gauge what organizations we should fit in or to be part of and take into consideration their ability to survive in this competitive world. And we should keep in our minds, that being responsible inviduals, we also have to give back something not just to the community we belong to, but also to the future generation.

The bottom line is: Internet is not created to rule out our
traditional way of living. Know its importance, believing its capabilities, learn what it offers and love it. Enjoy what is provided for us and live our lives to the fullest.

“There’s more than that meets the eye…”

Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing. From the instance that I became an Organizational Communication student, I feel that I will be different. Studying in a prestigious university and being part of fascinating course, I know that there are lots at stake for us. We are young  and we have so much to learn.

A guardian in Sir Barry’s being is not yet over with his job. From our ever inspiring and supportive professor in 142 and 105, there’s got to be something else… He’s got a bigger purpose. And now, he had employed a full-blown innovative experience in our ORCOM 152 subject by conquering the new social media.

He’ll guide us in our discovery of the different communication trends and styles.  He wants us to realize that our hunger for knowledge is not just confined in the four corners of our room. We must explore new vistas and exhaust every possible means of acquiring greater concepts.

There’s only way to overpower the new social media: we must blog! We are creating new generation of warriors by equipting ourselves with our understanding of the new perspective of communication. In time, through extensive discussion and regular usage of these new social medias, we will be competent enough to set our foot in the real organizational setting.

We must not hide! We must not stop!  If we want others to know what’s on our minds, let’s splatter it on our sites and see for ourselves! 🙂

Enjoy blogging! 🙂

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